Town of Windsor

WINDSOR'S BOARD ACCEPTS PETITION TO DISSOLVE VILLAGE:

In what one resident called an historic move, the Windsor board took the first step Monday toward a possible dissolution of the village.

The board accepted a petition, signed by about 225 village residents, calling for dissolution and incorporation into the Town of Windsor. In doing so, the village became the first Broome County community where residents have formally asked for a study of the dissolution of their local government.

The next step is for the village to appoint a study committee, including two representatives of the town, to study how the village could incorporate its services into the town, and the impact on village services and taxpayers. The board will hopefully approve the committee at its November meeting, once signatures on the petitions are verified, Mayor Suzanne Salt said.
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But once the board accepts the petition, the village must go through the entire process, ending with a public referendum on dissolution, village Attorney Beth Westfall said.

If dissolution takes place, the town board would have the final say on what services would be offered in the village, she said.

Lee said residents are not looking to do away with the village, but with a layer of government. Incorporating the village into the town could save on insurance and legal services, and could help the community compete more successfully for federal grants because it will have a larger population.

The study will take six to nine months at the least, Westfall said. The village will be looking for a grant from the state to help pay the study's cost, officials said.

The village, with a population of 901, has three full-time employees.